


Flying is Freedom

by kasandra



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Hagrid raises Harry, Rubeus Hagrid is too good for the world
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-06-05 23:36:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6727885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kasandra/pseuds/kasandra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It never settled right for Hagrid, leaving a child in the care of muggles who couldn't give him the care he needed. Then again, Hagrid always had a heart too large for his own good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flying is Freedom

Rubeus Hagrid wasn’t well known for being the smartest of all people in the Order of the Phoenix. No, he was no Ravenclaw, but there was something to be said of gut instinct and heart. For all of his brushes with animals of a less-than-friendly nature, he definitely had both of those in droves.

But as he watched the small babe sleeping in his coat and drove Sirius Black’s motorcycle across the sky, intending to join Dumbledore at Privet Drive, something tingled in the back of his mind. 

Something wasn’t right here.

He couldn’t put exactly _what_ on the tip of his tongue but, even with the war waging outside, Hagrid touched down with a groan and a creak from the motorcycle and pulled out the sleeping child, watching the glaring red mark in his forehead.

It tugged at his will and his heartstrings to just leave the child there, with Muggles (“Of the worst sort!” Ever sensible Minerva declared in his mind, not giving him any reason to turn the motorcycle back on and wake the babe again.) He liked to think he had some sort of common sense, and he owed Dumbledore everything in the world. Dumbledore was a trustworthy man, and the other side (dubiously the more sensible half) argued that this really shouldn’t be that difficult, passing off the child to the doorstep of his aunt and uncle. No one else was there to take care of him and there would be _wards_. Good ones. Blood wards that could keep Death Eaters at bay, whatever stragglers the ministry couldn’t catch.

But no one would take _care_ of him, that traitorous voice spoke in the back of his mind. Not like he needed to be taken care of. Not like James and Lily would’ve. There was only so much love people would give to someone just left on their doorstep like a bottle of milk.

He only noticed he was sniffling when he woke tiny Harry Potter with a shower of tears, trickling into his beard and splashing onto a chubby cheek, making a right mess of himself as one massive palm came up and wiped the fat tears off of his face. Large green eyes blinked up at him, bleary from the sleep and the one year old child reached up to fist in the beard.

He was so full of _magic_ , he could see it sparking off of him. Hagrid tried to be as quiet as he could, it was the middle of the night after all, and it wouldn’t do to draw muggles attention to him in a filthy alley in the middle of Bristol, cradling a wee babe and blubbering over it. “A-ah no now, go back ter sleep, ‘Arry…”

It took a couple of slow blinks but slowly, surely, as if he knew he was going to be okay, he settled back into the crook of Hagrid’s arm with the complete trust only a toddler could have. Hagrid took a few moments to attempt to peel his beard out of his tiny fingers with one of his own, and sat up with the realization that he didn’t trust Dumbledore. Not with this tiny life.

He had been playing war general for too long, he wouldn’t understand what a cruel place it could be for children who didn’t belong. But Hagrid did, he didn’t know if he could be a good dad to him but he’d never let anything bad happen to the child or make him feel unwanted. He’d take _care_ of the child as best as he was able and if hell came after them he’d give them hell right back.

Starting the bike took a little work, groaning under his foot and sputtering to life, but Hagrid took to the sky again.

He’d always wanted to visit the Great Dragon Sanctuaries in Romania.

**Author's Note:**

> It always struck me as odd that, while there have been many "XYZ raises Harry" stories, and yet not a one of them involved the man that had the opportunity to whisk him away on a flying motorcycle.
> 
> I hope everyone liked this tiny ficlet, I have been debating on whether or not I should add onto it. I still haven't decided, to be perfectly honest, but I would appreciate any reviews left with suggestions! Or even if anyone wants to add onto it, I'd love reading it!


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